Depression Counselling

Do you need depression counselling? It is true that depression should never be underestimated. But before you seek online counselling, have you ever wondered what depression is though?

These days, depression is a word that we keep hearing. For some people, it is just a word. While for others, it is a life-sentence where they keep suffering for a long time. It doesn’t have to be that way.

It is possible for people suffering from depression to get better, feel happier and healthier. However, most people with depression find it hard to ask for help.

But it is important for people to address this mental health issue and try to seek solutions. One of the best ways to deal with this is through depression counselling.

The first step towards recovery is recognising and accepting that you have depression. The second step is seeking help. Some people may have depression and not even realise it.

While some may be sad for a few days and feel like they’re going through depression, but not actually have depression. Some people may not know much about mental health and hence, not even consider the possibility of having depression.

If you’re not sure about what is going on with you, you’ve landed at the right place. This is where you’ll find all the information related to depression. It would help you to figure out if you have depression or not. It would also help you find ways through which you can get it treated.

What is Depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that makes you feel sad constantly. It also makes you lose interest in your day-to-day life, and just life in general.

Depression is often accompanied by other disorders such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, etc. However, if you’re suffering from depression, top counselling sessions can help you overcome those feelings of doom that you can’t get off your mind.

Depression affects the way you feel, the way you think and often, the way you act. Along with affecting your mental health negatively, depression affects your physical health negatively as well.

It also decreases your ability to function properly, be it at home or at work. This is one of the reasons why many people suffering from depression opt for online depression counselling instead of visiting a depression psychotherapist in person.

Every day we hear something or the other related to depression that it is quite confusing as to what will be termed as depression. It is natural to feel sad, lonely or depressed at certain points in our lives. But when it starts hindering your personal growth, that is depression.

What are the symptoms of depression?

There might have been times in your life when you’ve asked yourself, "Do I have depression"? And was not able to find an answer to this question.

The truth is that when a person is suffering from depression, that person may not even realise that he or she is suffering from depression. However, there are many symptoms that indicate if a person has depression or not.

Given below is a list of symptoms of depression that would help you figure out if the way you’re feeling right now is because you’re suffering from depression.

If you have five or more of these symptoms and have been feeling this way for the last 2 weeks or more, then chances are that you have been suffering from depression.

• You feel hopeless and are pessimistic.
• You are plagued by negative thoughts.
• You feel depressed most of the day, from the time you wake up.
• You feel tired everyday, even when you haven’t done anything to feel tired.
• You feel worthless everyday.
• You feel guilty almost everyday.
• You find it hard to focus on anything.
• You forget things easily and have a hard time remembering certain details.
• You find it difficult to make decisions, even the easy ones.
• You are either sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep, everyday.
• You feel restless.
• You have lost interest in most things.
• You’ve lost pleasure in the things that you previously loved.
• You’ve lost or gained a considerable amount of weight.
• You feel cranky and lose your temper easily.
• You feel anxious without any reason.
• You feel like nothing in life matters, including yourself.
• You are facing physical health issues such as headaches, body pains and digestive problems that refuse to go away even with treatment.

Though the above-mentioned indicators are common symptoms of depression, not everyone who has depression would experience the same symptoms. The symptoms would also differ from individual to individual when it comes to its severity, frequency of occurrence and the time-period of their manifestation.

Most people feel sad or even depressed from time to time. It is a part of being human. However, when the feeling gets overwhelming and you just can’t seem to get over it, chances are that you have clinical depression.

Depression Treatment

If you're suffering from depression, one little ray of hope you have is that depression is a treatable disorder. You don’t have to keep suffering.

These days, doctors and psychotherapists have a greater understanding of mental health issues. They use various methods of treatment for depression.

The method that is best suitable for you can be determined after considering multiple factors such as the symptoms you’re displaying, your age, medical history, and your response to certain medicines and treatments.

Whatever type of treatment plan is charted out for you by your mental health professional, engaging in depression counselling online would help in your recovery to a great extent.

Accepting the fact that you have depression can be hard, asking for help is even harder. But it is something that you must do.

If you’ve been looking for ways to overcome depression, going through the following points would allow you to have a greater understanding of the options at hand.

• Psychotherapy - Talking to a therapist or some other mental health professional on a regular basis could help greatly. Through therapy, you can learn various coping skills that help you to keep those negative feelings in check. Counselling for depression may also include family/group therapy sessions that help you work through suppressed issues.
• Medications - Some therapists or mental healthcare providers may suggest medications in order to manage certain symptoms of depression. Depending on the symptoms you’re displaying, these medications may include antidepressants, antipsychotics and/or antianxiety medications.
• Light Therapy - Phototherapy, or light therapy, is a method under which you are deliberately exposed to an artificial source of light. This method of treating depression is often used in the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is now recognised as a Major Depressive Disorder with seasonal patterns.
• Exercise - Along with other treatments and therapies, mental health professionals including depression counsellors often suggest their patients to get regular exercise. Exercising helps in increasing your body’s endorphin levels, which ultimately helps in improving your mood.
• Inpatient treatment - For some people, depression can be so severe that they end up becoming harmful to themselves and to others. In such a situation, sometimes it becomes necessary to get them admitted to a hospital or a depression treatment facility for recovery.

Depression doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution. It differs from case to case and should be treated as such. No matter what course of action is chosen for your treatment, getting quality therapy from a psychotherapist simultaneously is advisable.

What are the causes of depression?

Depression may be caused by one particular reason or by a combination of different reasons. These causes may be biological, genetic, or circumstantial. Some of the causes have been stated below -

• Brain structure - It has been found that the brain structure of people with depression is different from the brain structure of people without depression.
• Family history - People who have a family history of depression or other family members who suffer from depression have a bigger chance of suffering from depression themselves.
• Change in hormones - A significant change in hormones may trigger depression in some people. These significant changes in hormones are usually seen during pregnancy, menopause and post-partum. It is also seen in people with thyroid problems.
• Brain chemistry - Chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters play a huge role when it comes to your emotions and your day-to-day mood. When these chemicals are not working the way they should, a person ends up having depression.
• Childhood trauma - Certain negative experiences faced by a person during childhood gets embedded in that person’s psyche, which later manifests itself as depression.
• Medical Conditions - People with certain medical conditions such as chronic illnesses, chronic pains, insomnia etc. are at a higher risk of suffering from depression.
• Grief - The loss of a loved one or a bad break-up / divorce may lead to depression.
• Lifestyle - People with a history of drug abuse and/or alcohol abuse are also at a higher risk of having depression.

Though the above-mentioned factors are the known causes of depression, even if you don’t identify with any of those factors, you may still suffer from depression. So, it is advisable for you to speak to a psychotherapist.

What are the different types of Depression?

Though many different types of disorders and mental health issues can be counted within the depression spectrum, basically, there are two types of depression.

Those types are Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder. Major Depressive Disorder is a more severe form of depression, while Persistent Depressive Disorder is thought to be milder.

One major difference is that Persistent Depressive Disorder lasts longer than Major Depressive Disorder.

Other than these two, there are other sub-types of depression such as Bipolar Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Substance-induced Mood Disorder (SIMD).

Effects of Depression in Different Stages of Life

Facts about Depression

These are some facts about depression that might interest you -

• Depression can be suffered by anyone irrespective of their age or gender. Even kids as young as 7 years old can suffer from depression.
• Though depression is a mental health issue, it might affect your physical health as well.
• If left untreated, or sometimes, even with treatment, depression can lead to suicide.
• WHO (World Health Organisation) has found that depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
• More women suffer from depression than men.
• It is possible to treat all types of depression.

Why do you need Depression counselling?

Have you ever wondered why you think you need depression counselling? Before you seek the help of our online counsellors or online therapists, ask a few questions to yourself, and it is not of any help, let us tell inform you that we have certified professional counsellors that are available on phone, video call, email and chat. Talk to them at your own convenient time. So, ask yourself if

• You feel lonely, empty or sad.
• Feel less excited
• You take interest in your hobbies
• You feel helpless, or worthless
• You feel constantly low or high on energy for a period of a few months
• You feel tired more often than usual
• You feel difficulty focussing
• You feel difficulty falling asleep or waking up in the morning.
• Do you have thoughts of abandonment issues?

Do you need to take depression counselling?

If the answer is 'yes' to any of the above situations or questions, there is a need for some talk. Seek depression counselling. Online Depression counselling will help you talk to someone who is not there to pass judgements but actually help you find a solution.

With effective therapies like anger management, stress management, online counselling, talk therapy, an online counsellor will listen to you with empathy and expertise and help you deal with your negative thoughts effectively.

In short, an online counsellor will guide you towards your personal growth by helping you overcome negative feelings.

How can we help you to heal your depression?

Depression can really take a toll on your physical and mental health. It could go on for weeks or maybe months.

Before it gets too late, you should seek the help of an expert therapist, preferably online psychologist so that you can talk to them from the comforts of your home via phone, video call, chat or email.

Talk to a depression counsellor online in multiple languages such as Hindi, English, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Kannada and Odia.

At OnlineCounselling4U, we keep your identity and information 100% anonymous. Remember, we are always there to help you. Talk to our expert online counsellor and get help today.

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